Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Akasa Air has carried out its first set of proving flight operations on Monday, sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told BusinessLine.

The proving flights were along the Delhi-Mumbai route, and the airlines used a Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

The next set of proving flights are expected on Tuesday along the Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi route.

Proving flights are generally operated as a part of the last stages of the process of getting an Air Operator Certification (AOC) – the flying permit – by an airline. Even Jet Airways, under the new Jalan-Kalrock ownership, had to carry out proving flights for revalidation of its AOC.

Proving flights are operated with the pilots, cabin crew, DGCA officials, and any airline personnel required to support the flight. The ground operations of the airline, cockpit and cabin crew of the flight are tested for their operational knowledge, and for adherence to pre-defined standing operating procedures and regulatory guidelines.

Route diversions are also carried out, if required, to check the flight’s preparedness to deal with any such emergency situations.

Akasa did not respond to queries by BusinessLine.

Aircraft from Boeing

“A Boeing 737 Max was used for Monday’s proving flights along the Delhi-Mumbai route,” said a DGCA official.

In June, Akasa Air had informed that it took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in Seattle, US. The airline has also signed a contract with Irish leasing company, Griffin Global Asset Management, for sale and leaseback of five Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

Under sale and leaseback model, the airline sells its planes to a leasing company and then leases them back. This frees up the cash that the airline has spent on buying the aircraft.

Akasa Air had signed a deal with Boeing to purchase 72 Max aircraft on November 26, approximately three months after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) gave the green light to Max planes.

The aviation market is anticipating Akasa to being operations later this month.

Earlier, on Monday, the airline unveiled the first look of its crew uniform. It also issued a statement claiming that it was the first Indian airline to have introduced “custom trousers and jackets”, with their fabric specially made using recycled polyester from pet bottle plastic salvaged from marine waste and sneakers.

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